Beauty pageant babe faces DEATH PENALTY after Chinese drugs bust

Beauty pageant babe faces DEATH PENALTY after Chinese drugs bust

A MODEL faces the death penalty in China after a laptop loaded with drugs was discovered in her possession.

Published 30th July 2015

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NICKED: Juliana Lopez was arrested by Chinese police after the drugs find

Colombian Juliana Lopez, 22, was allegedly caught with the haul and arrested by police at Guangzhou Airport.

The beauty-pageant babe, who was set to compete for the title of Miss World Medellin, reportedly travelled to the communist state two weeks ago.

But when her family lost contact with her, they were told by the embassy in China that she had been nicked by police.

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UNDER ARREST: The Colombian beauty queen had gone to China to buy clothes, a friend said

A friend, Liz Hernandez, told local newspaper El Tiempo that the model had gone to collect clothes, souvenirs and accessories she could sell back home.

"My heart tells me she is not guilty," she said. "You cannot condemn it yet, I have hope that he is innocent and everything is clear."

Lopez, who plays for her local football team in Colombia, now faces the death penalty or life in prison if convicted.

Coach Alejandro Duque described the beauty queen as a "good girl" and said a fundraising match was planned to pay for her family and lawyer to fly to China.

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ON THE BALL: Juliana Lopez, who plays for her local team, in her kit

A Facebook page for the Columbian Miss World contest, Miss Mundo, said Lopez had been dropped from the competition.

"We regret to inform you that for reasons of force majeure, Juliana Lopez Sarrazola who was appointed as Miss World Medellin, is removed from the competition for the crown of Miss World Colombia," it read.

"Wish you many successes to Juliana" the post concluded.

China operates a strict zero tolerance policy to illegal drugs.

In 2009 British national Akmal Shaikh was put to death for heroin smuggling.